It’s all about the infrastructure

This past Thursday I had the pleasure of joining the Mayor, City Council, Chamber of Commerce, and about 300 of our closest friends in celebrating another great year in the City of Anderson. The annual State of the City luncheon, held at the beautiful Gaia Hotel, gave us a chance to reflect not only on the progress made this past year, but also provided a glimpse of what is to come during 2010.

Every citizen in Anderson knows that the economy isn't good right now. Far too many Anderson residents are unemployed and struggling to get by each month. But the economy will turn around, and when it does, the city needs to be ready to accommodate new businesses, new homes, and new residents. In his presentation, the Mayor emphasized how your city government is planning for prosperity and identified several projects currently underway to ensure we are prepared when the economy picks up.

One very important way we can prepare for future prosperity is with robust and well maintained roads, sewers and water systems. The main routes through town - North Street and Highway 273 - must be safe, attractive, and free from excessive congestion, while our water and sewer systems must be in good repair and substantial enough to handle additional development. Several projects planned for the coming year will help reach these goals. These include:

Addition of one lane along westbound North Street, making entry into Anderson easy and welcoming.

Significant improvements to the intersection of North Street and Highway 273 to improve visibility and safety for pedestrians.

A new traffic signal on Highway 273 at Alexander and Third Streets, making it easier and safer to access to the industrial areas on Alexander.

Completion of a new storage pond at the wastewater treatment plant at Anderson River Park, helping to prevent overflows in the wet winter months.

Underground improvements to the older sewer main lines in the Cobblestone Loop neighborhood.

Installation of new water meters and automated meter reading devices so that city staff can quickly and accurately measure water consumption.

Addition of a dedicated bicycle lane along Highway 273 from South Street to Rhonda Road, allowing residents without vehicles to travel safely to the Anderson Marketplace and the Shasta Outlets.

As the Mayor noted in his presentation, we are all facing challenges in these difficult economic times. Income is down for everyone: families, businesses, and governments alike are finding ways to make do with less money. But economies have a way of rebounding, and your city is doing all it can to be sure that when it does, Anderson will be ready for all residents to prosper once again.